Nursing Pad

ABSTRACT

A nursing pad for placement on the breast of a woman with, for the purpose of fitting to the shape of a breast, a thin-walled, flexible pad body with a circumferential outer edge, an inner surface for placement on the breast and an outer surface, wherein a rising for the purpose of pushing in a nipple protrudes from the inner surface of the pad body.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a U.S. National Stage Application of PCT/EP2012/001060, Filed on Mar. 9, 2012, which claims priority to DE 20 2012 001 829.9 filed on Feb. 24, 2012

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a nursing pad for placement on the breast of a woman.

Nursing pads serve to prevent the leakage of breast milk from the breasts of breast-feeding women.

Leaking breast milk contaminates clothing and causes discomfort. Absorbent nursing pads with a liquid-impermeable outer layer, which are placed on the breast and catch leaking breast milk, are known. These have the disadvantage that they are puffed out and appear bulky. In addition, wearing the moist, absorbent pillow on the skin can cause discomfort.

WO 2009/043007 A1 relates to a reusable, washable, adhesive cover for use by lactating women in combination with an absorbent nursing pad. The cover has a plurality of laminated layers made of silicone compounds. An outer layer is considerably harder than an inner layer. The outer layer gives the cover rigidity and the silicone compound with the lesser hardness on the inside has adhesive properties so that the cover enables fixing without additional fastening on clothing.

It is known that light pressure on the nipple controls and restricts the leakage of breast milk. A device for controlling lactation is known from WO 03/105616 A1. This device has a thin, flexible and breathable, liquid-impermeable and multi-layer shield, which easily fits to the shape of the human breast. The device can be used together with a bra in order to support the formation of the shield and to exert an additional pressure on the nipple of the wearer in order to prevent spontaneous lactation.

The shield is a thin membrane with an inner surface and an outer surface. It is made of a material that is sufficiently flexible in all directions so that it fits to the shape of the breast through slight pressure. The shield has an adhesive, inner surface, which makes it possible to retain its position without using glue or being fastened on the outer clothing and on a bra. The shield is pre-formed so that it has an elliptical surface in cross-section, which makes it possible to fit the shield closer to the shape of the breast. The material of the shield is sufficiently sheer so that it is almost invisible when it is arranged under clothing. The thickness of the shield is selected so that it almost does not change the breast profile of the wearer. The shield has an outer shell made of silicone rubber and an inner membrane made of a silicone rubber compound, which is laminated onto the inner surface of the outer shell. The outer shell and the inner membrane have identical elliptical curves, wherein the outer shell has a convex surface and the inner membrane has a concave surface.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,195 B1 describes a repeatedly usable, washable, adhesive pad for adhering to the human body, which has a pad body made of a silicone rubber and an adhesive layer made of a silicone gel, which is formed from a piece with the pad body in order to make an adhesive surface available. The pad body and the adhesive layer made of silicone gel are linked and seamlessly interconnected wherein the adhesive layer made of silicone gel retains its adhesive properties for approx. two months depending on use. This pad can be repeatedly adhered to the skin of the wearer. It is dome-shaped.

However, with known pads for direct adhesion to the skin, which are not provided with an absorptive pillow, leakage of milk can occur.

Based on this, an object of the invention is to provide a nursing pad that better prevents the unwanted leakage of milk.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The nursing pad according to the invention for placement on the breast of a woman has, for the purpose of fitting to the shape of a breast, a thin-walled, flexible pad body with a circumferential outer edge, an inner surface for placement on the breast and an outer surface, wherein a rising for the purpose of pushing in a nipple protrudes from the inner surface of the pad body.

The nursing pad according to the invention is based on the knowledge that conventional nursing pads do not nestle ideally to a breast so that the nipples often do not push in at all or do not push in sufficient in order to prevent a flowing off of breast milk to the desired extent. For a sufficient pushing in of the nipple, the pad body of the nursing pad according to the invention is provided in the center with a rising protruding from the inner surface. When the nursing pad is applied to the breast, the rising pushes the nipple in, even if the nursing pad does not rest on the breast ideally. Since the nursing pad is applied to the breast and the nipple is pushed in, it causes a natural closure of the mammary glands. It can be opened by removing the nursing pad. The rising facilitates the positioning of the nursing pad on the breast or respectively the nipple.

According to a preferred embodiment, the rising is a thick point in the pad body. The embodiment of the rising as a thick point has the advantage that the nursing pad has a reduced flexibility at the rising. As a result, the rising cannot move away during the pushing in of the nipple. This contributes to ensuring that the nipple is pushed in sufficiently in order to prevent a milk leakage. In the case of this embodiment, the pad body outside of the rising is preferably designed in a particularly thin-walled or respectively flexible manner so that it nestles particularly well on the breast. This also contributes to ensuring that the rising is correctly positioned and is pushing in the nipple sufficiently. Moreover, it is achieved through the fitting to the breast that the wearing of the nursing pad under clothing is not noticeable.

But it is generally also possible to design the rising as an inwardly curved, central area of a thin-walled pad body with a mainly constant wall thickness in the area of the rising and the other areas. Due to its compact shape, the rising formed in this manner can be designed in a sufficiently stable manner in order to push in the nipple.

According to one embodiment, the pad body is curved in a dome-shaped manner. The dome-shaped curvature is given for example when the pad body has the shape of a hemispherical shell or a smaller part of a spherical shell or the shape of a bell. The dome-shaped curvature of the pad body facilitates the fitting to the shape of the breast.

According to another embodiment, the pad body has a concave inner surface surrounding the rising and/or the pad body has a convex outer surface.

According to another embodiment, the wall thickness of the pad body increases gradually from the circumferential outer edge up to the outer edge of the central rising. This wall thickness progression simultaneously effectuates an advantageous fitting to the shape of the breast and support of the central rising so that it can push in the nipple sufficiently without sagging.

According to one embodiment, the rising is curved at least partially in a convex manner. The convex curvature makes it comfortable to wear. The rising is preferably curved overall in a convex manner. The rising is preferably only slightly curved in a convex manner so that the nipple has an almost flat support surface and does not slide off laterally. According to a preferred embodiment, the rising has the shape of a sphere segment. According to another embodiment, the curvature radius of the convex rising is at least 5 mm. Even more preferably, it is a maximum of 15 mm.

According to another embodiment, the rising is curved only partially in a convex manner and is flattened in the apex area in order to offer there a broad surface for the nipple. The transition between the flattening and the convexly curved casing is preferably rounded.

It is also generally possible to design the rising in a frustoconical or cylindrical manner, wherein the transition from the conical or respectively cylindrical casing to the flattened end is preferably rounded.

According to another embodiment, the transition from the rising to the areas of the inner surface surrounding it is rounded in order to make it comfortable to wear.

The curvature radius of the rounded transition from the rising to the area surrounding it is preferably only slightly curved. It can have in particular a curvature radius of at least 5 mm. The curvature radius is preferably a maximum of 15 mm.

According to another embodiment, the rising protrudes with respect to the adjacent, inner surface by 0.5 to 5.0 mm. In this area of the dimensions, the nipple is pushed in to an extent that prevents milk leakage but is not considered uncomfortable. Even more preferably, it protrudes by 1.0 to 2.0 mm. It preferably protrudes approximately 1.5 to 1.75 mm.

According to a preferred embodiment, the pad body is thin-walled or respectively has a wall thickness that is thin enough to be supple. According to another embodiment, the pad body in the area of the rising has a wall thickness of 1.5 to 10 mm and/or outside of the rising a wall thickness of 0.3 to 5 mm. Sufficient stability in the center and suitable flexibility outside of the center are hereby reached. Furthermore, the pad body in the area of the rising preferably has a wall thickness of 2.5 to 7.5 mm and/or outside of the rising a wall thickness of 0.5 to 3 mm.

According to another embodiment, the rising extends 3 to 12 mm from the center of the pad body in the radial direction. Furthermore, it preferably extends 4 to 8 mm.

According to other embodiments, the circumferential outer edge of the pad body is curved. According to another embodiment, the outer edge is circular or elliptical or petal-like. The petal-like embodiment has a series of arched sections of the outer edge. The petal shape fits the breast particularly well. It distributes the surface pressure to a larger contact line, whereby impressions on the skin are reduced.

According to another embodiment, the outer edge of the pad body is finger-shaped. In this embodiment, small stripes extend radially outwards starting from the central rising or from an edge area surrounding the central rising, wherein there are free spaces between the stripes.

According to another embodiment, the rising in the center protrudes from the inner surface of the pad body. In this embodiment, the rising is located in the middle point of the pad body if it is circular. If the pad body is elliptical, the rising is located at the intersection of the main and secondary axis of the ellipse. In an pad body with a petal-shaped or finger-shaped outer edge or an outer edge with another, in particular irregular, shape, the rising is preferably located in the mass center of the pad body.

According to a preferred embodiment, the inner surface has an adhesive. The adhesive enables a simple adhesion directly to the skin surface. The nursing pad is hereby held immovably in the position, in which the rising pushes against the nipple. Moreover, complex fastening measures, for example through the use of additional adhesives or fastening of the nursing pad to bra, are avoided. Usage is hereby simplified.

According to another embodiment, the inner surface has an adhesive coating made of an adhesive. The entire inner surface is preferably coated with the adhesive coating made of an adhesive.

According to another embodiment, the nursing pad is supple and/or skin-like and/or does not absorb fluid. It preferably absorbs neither milk nor water.

This is advantageous for the wearing comfort of the nursing pad. The properties can be given to the nursing pad through a suitable design and/or through the use of suitable materials. They can be given to the nursing pad in particular through a corresponding design of the pad-body or of the adhesive or of the pad body and of the adhesive.

According to another embodiment, the pad body is made of silicone rubber and/or the adhesive is made of a silicone gel. The named materials have a suitable flexibility and suppleness and can be designed in a sufficiently skin-like manner and in a manner that does not absorb fluid. It is generally possible to use the nursing pad multiple times, wherein it can be washed due to the multiple uses, if necessary. The nursing pad is preferably transparent or respectively sheer.

The pad body preferably has a diameter in the range of 50 mm to 150 mm. The diameter preferably lies in the range of 70 mm to 100 mm.

The adhesive layer preferably has a layer thickness of 0.05 to 1.0 mm. The layer thickness is preferably 0.1 to 0.3 mm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is explained in greater detail below based on the appended drawings of an exemplary embodiment in nursing pads according to the invention. The drawings show:

FIG. 1 the nursing pad in a side view;

FIG. 2 the nursing pad in the top view; and

FIG. 3 the nursing pad in a cut perpendicularly through the apex of the pad body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While this invention may be embodied in many different forms, there are described in detail herein a specific preferred embodiment of the invention. This description is an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiment illustrated

According to FIGS. 1 to 3, the nursing pad 1 has a dome-shaped pad body 2, which has a concave inner surface 3 and a convex outer surface 5. In the center, the concave inner surface 3 ends in a convex rising 5. The transition from the rising 5 to the inner surface 3 has a rounding 6.

The pad body 2 has a curved, circumferential outer edge 7. The outer edge 7 has a series of arched, curved sections 7.1 to 7.5. The transitions between the arched sections 7.1 to 7.5 are rounded.

The wall thickness of the pad body 2 increases gradually from the outer edge 7 to the rising 5. On the outer edge 7, the pad body 2 has a wall thickness S1 of 0.65 mm and, on the edge of the rising 5, a wall thickness S2 of approximately 2 mm. It has a wall thickness S3 of 5 mm at the highest point of the rising 6.

The pad body 2 has the following radii:

R1=70 mm, R2=40 mm, R3=120 mm, R4=10.7 mm, R5=10 mm, R6=66 mm.

Preferably, the centers of the radii R2 are arranged on a circle, which revolves around the vertical middle axis in FIG. 3 at a distance A of approximately 11 mm.

The diameter D1 of a circle defining the nursing pad 1 is approximately 80 mm. The diameter D2 of the circle inscribed into the circumferential outer edge 7 is approximately 75 mm.

The height H1 of the nursing pad from the apex of the outer surface 4 to the deepest points of the outer edge 7 is approximately 15 mm.

An adhesive layer 9 made of silicone gel is applied to the inner surface 3 of the pad body 2. The adhesive layer 9 made of silicone gel has a layer thickness S4 of 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm.

The pad body 2 made of silicone can be produced in an injection-molding process or in a compression-molding process or a pressing process.

The production of the nursing pad 1 with a pad body 2 made of silicone and an adhesive layer 9 made of silicone gel on the inner surface 3 can also take place as described in WO 03/105616 A1 or U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,195. The description to this effect in the two patent documents is referenced in the present application.

The nursing pad 1 is placed on the breast, wherein the rising 5 is pushed against the nipple and the areas surrounding the rising 5 are fitted to the breast. The adhesive layer 9 holds the thusly positioned nursing pad 1 firmly on the skin. The leakage of milk is effectively prevented. The nursing pad 1 can be easily removed, washed and reused.

In other exemplary embodiments, one or more of the dimensions S1, S2, S3, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, D1, D2, H1 differ by a maximum of ±50%. They preferably differ by a maximum of ±20%.

This completes the description of the preferred and alternate embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiment described herein which equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto. 

1. A nursing pad for placement on the breast of a woman, comprising: a thin-walled, flexible pad body (2) with a circumferential outer edge (7), an inner surface (3) for placement on the breast and an outer surface (4), wherein a rising (5) for the purpose of pushing in a nipple protrudes from the inner surface (3) of the pad body (2).
 2. The nursing pad according to claim 1, wherein the rising (5) is a thick point in the pad body (2).
 3. The nursing pad according to claim 1, wherein the pad body (2) is curved in a dome-shaped manner.
 4. The nursing pad according to claim 1, wherein the pad body (2) around the rising (5) has a concave inner surface (3) and/or in which the pad body (2) has a convex outer surface (4).
 5. The nursing pad according to claim 1, wherein the wall thickness of the pad body (2) increases gradually from the circumferential outer edge (7) up to the outer edge of the rising (5).
 6. The nursing pad according to claim 1, wherein the rising (5) is at least partially convex.
 7. The nursing pad according to claim 1, wherein the transition from the rising (5) to the area of the inner surface (3) surrounding it is rounded.
 8. The nursing pad according to claim 1, wherein the rising (5) protrudes by 0.5 to 5 mm with respect to the adjacent, inner surface (3) of the pad body (2).
 9. The nursing pad according to claim 1, wherein the pad body (2) in the area of the rising (5) has a wall thickness of 1.5 to 10 mm and/or outside of the rising (5), a wall thickness of 0.3 to 5 mm.
 10. The nursing pad according to claim 1, wherein the rising (5) extends 3 to 12 mm from the center of the pad body (2) in the radial direction.
 11. The nursing pad according to claim 1 the circumferential outer edge (7) of the pad body (2) is circular or elliptical or petal-shaped.
 12. The nursing pad according to claim 1 the rising (5) is arranged in the center of the pad body (2).
 13. The nursing pad according to claim 1, further including an adhesive on the inner surface (3).
 14. The nursing pad according to claim 13, further including an adhesive layer (9) made of an adhesive on the inner surface (3).
 15. The nursing pad according to claim 1, wherein the nursing pad is supple and/or skin-like and/or breathable and/or does not absorb fluid.
 16. The nursing pad according to claim 1, wherein the pad body (2) is made of silicone rubber and/or the adhesive is made of a silicone gel. 